The present invention pertains primarily to laminates and methods of forming the same, and more particularly to laminates for use in providing sound deadening, insulation, or the like.
It has generally been the practice in providing sound deadening pads for use on automobile roofs or the like to provide a shipping pallet containing several layers or sheets of sound deadening pads. Each layer typically comprises a number of square or rectangular die-cut sound deadening pads laid out side-by-side in a grid-like format, and connected together edge by edge by connecting tabs made up of portions of the sound deadening pads which have not been die-cut. Each separable sound deadening pad typically comprises a felt pad having asphaltic material therein and coated on its entire upper surface with a pressure sensitive adhesive. In use, pads of this type would be applied to the inner surface of an automobile roof using the pressure sensitive adhesive on the pads.
In the past, sheets of the adhesive coated sound deadening pads have been horizontally separated from one another by alternating layers of release paper. Thus when the sound deadening pads making up one layer or sheet have been used up, a layer of release paper would have to be removed to expose the next sheet of sound deadening pads. This process of course continues until the last sheet of sound deadening pads on the pallet is used up. Needless to say, the necessity of removing the alternating layers of release paper involves additional labor and creates a significant amount of waste paper. On an automotive assembly line, where efficiency is often measured in units produced per hour, even brief periods of additional labor on one item can slow down an entire assembly line, thus resulting in decreased efficiency for an entire automotive assembly plant. Furthermore, the waste created by the removed layers of release paper, in addition to taking up valuable space alongside the assembly line, also requires the labor of plant personnel for periodic removal from the assembly line and subsequent disposal.
An additional problem presented by currently used sound deadening pads of the type referred to above is that the adhesive-coated felt pads making up on sheet on a pallet often butt up against similarly coated felt pads along their various edges. With adhesive being applied to the entire top surface of such felt pads, adjacent pads often stick together edge to edge, thus creating delays and other associated problems on the assembly line caused by having to separate adjacent pads from one another.
Accordingly, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide an adhesive device and method of producing the same which eliminates the waste and labor involved with separate layers of release paper and also eliminates the problems associated with adjacent adhesive-coated felt pads sticking to one another.
In general, the adhesive device and method according to the present invention includes providing a laminate comprised of a felt substrate, release paper, and adhesive. The release paper is permanently attached to one side of the felt substrate to form a sheet having a felt side exposed and a release side of the release paper exposed. This sheet may be divided into sections (to form a plurality of separable pads or sections) by a cut extending through all but connecting tabs between adjacent sections on the sheet. Adhesive is applied to all but a peripheral edge portion of the other side of the felt substrate on each of the sections. This uncoated peripheral edge portion may comprise a generally uniform border portion on each section with additional uncoated area being provided at corners or the like of the pad, where hand contact is made to separate pads from one another. A plurality of sheets or laminates may be arranged in overlapping relationship or stacked with the adhesive on one laminate adjacent the exposed release side of the release paper on another laminate. In addition, a separate sheet of release paper may be placed adjacent the exposed adhesive on the outermost laminate.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment which makes reference to the following set of drawings in which :